Babysitter accused of kidnapping toddler to appear in court for competency hearing
A judge will decide whether a Topsfield woman is competent to stand trial on charges of kidnapping and assaulting a toddler she used to babysit.
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Abigail Hanna, 21, has been held since she was arrested November 21, a day after the 2-year-old girl was found bruised, burned and naked along the side of the road in Rowley. The toddler had been taken from her Hamilton home hours earlier. She faces a competency hearing on Wednesday.
Hanna has spent much of the last six months at the Worcester Recovery Center, a state hospital, as questions of her mental health and ability to understand the charges against her were assessed. Last month, a judge ordered her to prison after the hospital said she no longer needed to be there.
At Wednesday’s competency hearing, the judge will hear from prosecutors and defense attorneys, along with their experts, as he makes a decision on whether Hanna is competent. A hospital and prosecution expert say she is, while a defense expert thinks she is not.
In previous appearances, a court clinician said Hanna spoke in a whisper and said she was hearing voices. Her attorney, Susan McNeil, said Hanna has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.
If she is found not competent to stand trial, she could be held for 7 1/2 years, or half the maximum sentence if she were to be found guilty of kidnapping.
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